Should You Have a Living Trust ?

Rob Glownia | Aug 17, 2021

What is a Living Trust?

A living trust, or “inter-vivos” trust, is an estate planning mechanism that enables you to have your property transferred to, and managed by a trust during your lifetime. And, because it is revocable, you can change it at any time depending on your circumstance. After your death, the trust becomes irrevocable and all of its provisions must be carried out by a trustee who is designated by you.

The key advantages of a revocable living trust:

Keeps your assets out of probate: The assets owned by your trust are passed directly to your family, thereby avoiding the delays and costs of probate court.

Keeps your affairs private: What goes into your trust stays with your trust, at least as far as your private financial matters. Your will is a matter of public record, but a trust is not.

Keeps things running smoothly: You can arrange for a trustee to manage its assets even after your death in order to maintain the continuity of income from a business or an asset.

Keeps the trust going: In cases, where a trustee in no longer able to perform the duties, your trust can designate successors who can step in immediately.

Revocable Living Trust Basics

Parties to the Trust: A trust includes a grantor (you), a trustee (you, your spouse or anyone you designate), and a beneficiary (typically your surviving family).

Establishing the Trust: A living trust can be set up fairly quickly. It usually requires an attorney to draft and authenticate the trust which is a legal document that specifies all of the grantor’s terms, names a trustee and beneficiary, and then lists all of the trust’s assets. After the grantor and the trustee sign the trust, the title of selected properties and assets can be changed to the trust as owner.

The Life of a Trust

A revocable living trust is a living document that can be changed or revoked by the grantor at any time during his or her life. So, if changes in marital status or other family relationship occur, they can be reflected in the trust. Assets and properties can be added or removed. Trustee designations can be changed.

Your living trust should be reviewed periodically, because after the death of the grantor, it will become irrevocable (if the grantor includes both spouses, it continues as a revocable living trust).

You Still Need a Will

The living trust is the mechanism for distributing your property, however, you still need a will in order to execute the trust. The trust is the primary beneficiary of your will. The added benefit of having a will is that, for any property or assets that might have been excluded from the trust, the will acts as a “catch all” to ensure that all property is distributed according to your wishes.

Additionally, if you need to designate a guardian for dependent relatives, you need a will, because there is no place in a trust to establish guardianship.

Bottom Line

Estate planning isn’t an exclusive activity for the ultra-wealthy. Simply put, it’s a plan for who will look after your children and what should happen to your assets after you've passed. If you want to ensure that your estate is handled in accordance with your directives, you should consider a revocable living trust.

At Glownia Financial Group, we can guide you through the process of creating an estate plan. Importantly, we would also coordinate the services of an estate attorney to draft your trust and other estate planning documents.

For more information, please see our estate planning and family legacy services here:

https://www.glowniafinancialgroup.com/products-services/estate-planning

Should You Have a Living Trust ?